The Biz: The Grapevine

Dan Post Boots Let Babies Grow up to Be Cowkids!

By Sandra Simmons

Almost before they can stand on their own two feet, little kids love to copy their parents. When they see Mama and Pops pullin’ on their favorite pair of boots to go two-steppin’ or moseying around the neighborhood, kids want nuthin’ more than to stomp around in their own set of cowboy boots. Now they can! For everyday footwear or for dress, Dan Post Boot Company lets kids strut their Western stuff in style. These quality boots feature fine workmanship in materials such as lizard skin, ostrich leather, cowhide, eel and snake skin, and offer a removable foot bed system that increases space by one full size to give growing toes plenty of wriggle room.

The Grapevine

Big Court Win for MGA's Bratz Dolls

By The Giggle Guide

David Successfully Battles Goliath

MGA Entertainment, the tiny California company that developed the ethnically diverse, wildly popular Bratz dolls, triumphed by winning a federal lawsuit filed against it by toy giant Mattel. MGA was awarded more than $88 million in damages and maintains control of its Bratz line.

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UpSpring Baby Shrinkx Hips!

By Kelly Lee

Pregnancy brings with it a host of joys and trials. What is more exciting and miraculous than welcoming a new life? However, while there’s no denying the wonder, there is a downside. During pregnancy, a special hormone called relaxin causes the joints, muscles and ligaments to do just that –– relax. This hormone stays inside the body for about 6 to 8 weeks after birth, and can result in the permanent spreading of the hip area. New mothers need suffer no more, thanks to the folks at UpSpring Baby Their newest product, Shrinkx Hips support garment, was developed to literally help shrink the hip area after pregnancy.

The Grapevine

“AKA Mom” Recognizes the Many Roles of Mothers

By Mari Gold

AKA Mom, a new magazine for modern mothers, will launch in print and digital formats in late May 2011, and publish quarterly thereafter. AKA Mom moves well beyond most parenting magazines to focus on the often neglected side of momhood — recognizing that moms are also wives, professionals, eco-conscious consumers and fashion enthusiasts. The magazine is created for and by multi-tasking moms, with sharp ideas and a fun take on motherhood. The magazine also will include a section just for dads, featuring fathering tips and funny takes on parenting.

The Grapevine

BuggyGuard: If You Love It, Lock It

By Mari Gold

When a newborn joins a family, the endless shopping for baby products begins! Among the most important purchases parents make for their precious little one is a stroller. With all the available options on the market, most parents spend a great deal of time and energy researching this decision, then invest a significant amount of money on the perfect stroller. That expensive stroller is critical to life on-the-go with baby, and parents want to be certain it’s secure. Give your customers peace of mind by offering the BuggyGuard

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Charlotte Tarantola’s Fashion Web Attracts Tweens

By The Giggle Guide

Tweens change their clothing almost as often as their minds! Their love-hate relationships span from Justin Bieber and The Jonas Brothers to belted dresses and skinny jeans. Spinning up trend-setting fashions capable of grabbing the attention of this fickle bunch — while also snaring parental approval — is a sticky design challenge. Charlotte Tarantola skillfully meets this task and has successfully captured the spirit of young girls with her distinctive fashion collections.

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Make Your Store a Premiere Attraction with Puppet Heap!

By Emmi Kern

Kids have a mind-boggling array of choices when it comes to electronic entertainment. Between high-end gaming systems, online interaction, handheld games, and TV on demand, most youngsters have more than enough to keep them glued to an audio-video set of some kind. Still, there’s something about traditional, creative, real-time forms of fun that can capture a child’s attention and interactive imagination in a way that pixels simply cannot.

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7 A.M. ENFANT Travel Innovations are Handy Anytime!

By The Giggle Guide

7 A.M. ENFANT, the stylish line of on-the-go baby accessories, incorporates top-quality craftsmanship with chic yet functional materials that are as pleasing to discriminating parents as they are to little ones. French designer Rebecca Campora is the brain behind the brand that encompasses many award-winning products, such as Blanket 212evolution and Le Sac Igloo. Accessories are meticulously designed to work for moms who enjoy the combination of practicality and style. On the road and suddenly need to stash a wet diaper? Check. Toting a phone? Just pop it into the tidy compartment and clip on keys for the ride.

The Grapevine

Ju-Ju-Be Creates Smart Bags for Families

By Londa Hayden

The days of lugging an overstuffed, humdrum diaper bag with little to no finesse are gone! Ju-Ju-Be brings a hip new look with fortified uses to baby bags, backpacks and accessories. The brand is the brainchild of Kristen Hunziker and Joe Croft, who are both parents themselves. Boasting years of experience working with top companies, such as Lands End and Oakley, they turn what was once considered utilitarian type items into remarkably stylish and desirable products. Kristen applies her impeccable fashion sense in apparel merchandise, production and design, while Joe puts his inventive and technological skills to work.